Little Dudes

Oliver

Germanic, Latin

"elf army; ancestor's relic; olive tree"

Oliver is an international star, ranking near the top of the charts throughout the English-speaking world and in a host of European and Latin American countries, from Norway to Chile, Slovenia to…

Santiago

Place-name or Latin

"Saint James"

Santiago is a spirited Spanish name with great crossover potential. It's a place-name (a city in Chile), a surname, and the name of the patron saint of Spain. Santiago has been rising through the…

Cooper

English occupational name

"barrel maker"

The genial yet upscale and preppy Cooper was one of the first occupational last names to catch on -- and Cooper remains a pleasing option. Cooper began his rapid climb in 1982 and is a popular choice…

River

Nature name

River shares the tranquil feeling of all the water names, and seems to have pretty much escaped its past strong association with River Phoenix and his unfortunate fate. Actor Joaquin Phoenix named…

Jasper

Persian

"bringer of treasure"

Jasper originated as a variation of the Latin Gaspar, which ultimately derived from the Persian word ganzabara , meaning "bringer of treasure." As a given name, Jasper’s etymology is unrelated to…

Rory

Irish

"red king"

This spirited Gaelic classic, which became popular in Ireland via the illustrious twelfth century king Rory O'Connor, makes a highly energetic choice, now used for either sex. Rory's gender split is…

Brody

Irish, English, and Scottish

"broad eye or broad island"

The energetic Brody is a name that claims different meanings and origins depending on whether you're looking at its Irish, Scottish, or English history -- and Eastern Europeans claim a version too.…

Bodhi

Sanskrit

"awakening, enlightenment"

Bodhi is a Sanskrit name translated as "enlightenment" or "awakening" which relates to a Buddhist concept, wherein Bodhi is synonymous with the state of nirvana, being freed from hate, greed and ego.…

Phoenix

Arizona place-name and Greek

"dark red"

Effortlessly cool with a hint of the mystical, Phoenix rolls a lot of trends into one: it's a place-name and a bird name, it ends in the stylish letter x, it's got in-built nicknames, and it's unisex…

Ford

English

"dweller at the ford"

The long association to the Ford Motor Company doesn't stand in the way of this being a strong, independent, single-syllable name. Owen Wilson named his son Robert Ford—although the baby's name was…

Otis

Variation of Otto, German

"wealthy"

Otis has real appeal for parents attracted to its catchy O initial and combination of strength and spunk. The appealing hero of the British TV show Sex Education has done much to propel Otis into the…

Clyde

Scottish river name

Even though in the past Clyde may have been identified as half of the infamous outlaw duo with partner Bonnie Parker—especially after the 1967 movie in which he was played by Warren Beatty—Clyde has…

Sampson

Hebrew

"sun"

This name, once considered overly powerful due to the superhuman strength of the biblical figure, is now an option for parents in search of an unusual route to Sam. But you really don't need that p:…

Ruaidhri

Ruaidhri is a traditional Irish male name with deep Gaelic roots. It's the original form of the more commonly known Rory, derived from the Old Irish elements "ruadh" meaning red and "rí" meaning…

Sunny

Nickname name

Upbeat nickname-name that can't help but make you smile, along with its soundalike Sonny. Sunny Pawar, the five-year-old star of the 2016 smash-hit movie Lion , was cast from among thousands of young…

Maxen

Welsh, from Latin Maximus

"greatest"

Also spelled Macsen, this ancient name manages to sound modern and cool. An heroic namesake was Maxen Wledig, a fourth century Spanish-born general who led the Roman army out of Britain, and as…